Hydarnes (Old Persian: 𐎻𐎡𐎭𐎼𐎴, romanized: Vidṛna), also known as Hydarnes the Elder, was a Persian nobleman, who was one of the seven conspirators who overthrew the Pseudo-Smerdis.[1] His name is the Greek transliteration of the Old Persian name Vidṛna, which may have meant "he who knows the guilt/wrong".[1]

He was seemingly good friends with Aspathines, who invited him to join the conspiracy,[1] which included the noblemen Intaphernes, Otanes, Gobryas, Megabyzus, and the Achaemenid prince Darius, who was its leader.[2] For his services, Hydarnes was seemingly given the Achaemenid satrapy of Armenia as a semi-hereditary fief, since his descendants governed it until the Hellenistic period.[1] Orontes I (died 344 BC), the ancestor of the Orontid dynasty, was descended from Hydarnes.[3] According to some Persepolis tablets, Hydarnes served as the satrap of Media under Darius.[4]

Hydarnes was survived by two sons, Hydarnes the Younger and Sisamnes, who both served as commanders under Darius' son and successor, Xerxes I (r. 486–465 BC).[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Schmitt 2004, pp. 588–590.
  2. ^ Shahbazi 1994, pp. 41–50.
  3. ^ Boyce & Grenet 1991, pp. 310–311.
  4. ^ Briant 2002, p. 136.

Sources

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